British Army Motoring Association

History

BAMA was formed in 1960 to co-ordinate motorised wheeled driver training in the Army and to run and represent Army motor sport at service, national and international level, building on Army motorcycling activity that dated back to 1937. It moved into stage rallying in the late 1960s: invited to the Scottish Rally to sweep up stranded cars, the Army's Land Rovers were an instant hit and the association went on to compete across the UK, Europe and Cyprus, including the British round of the World Rally Championship.

The association is not a manufacturer or a converter in the ordinary sense; it prepares vehicles for its own competition use. Its rally team of the 1990s ran four ex-Ministry of Defence Land Rover Ninetys, sponsored by Lex Leasing. One of them, a 1986 2.5-litre diesel Ninety registered 64 KF 64, was transferred from ten years of Army service in 1996 and prepared with a roll cage, white paintwork, rally seats, a custom Exmoor Trim hood, simplified dash and wiring, straight-through exhaust, raised handbrake and driving lamps, running under the radio call sign 'Romeo Four'. It was retired in 2005, went to the REME Corps Museum, and passed to the Dunsfold Collection in 2014.

The association was renamed the British Armed Forces Motoring Association in 2003 in the move towards joint operations, then reverted to BAMA in late 2010 — as the British Army Motorsports Association — when it lost its training status and funding and its activities were formally recognised as an Army sport under the Army Sports Control Board. It now describes itself as the most diverse motor club registered with Motorsport UK, covering eight disciplines across four wheels and two, and is open to retired as well as serving personnel.

Vehicles in this registry (1)

• BAMA Ninety rally vehicle — Romeo Four Competition cage; rally markings; modified short-wheelbase body. · converted

Sources & citations

• About BAMA (established 1960; built on Army motorcycling from 1937; stage rallying from the late 1960s in Europe, Cyprus and the UK including the WRC's Britain round; renamed BAFMA in 2003; reverted to BAMA in 2010 after losing training status and funding; recognised as an Army sport) ↗ — British Army Motorsports Association (accessed 2026-09-10)
• Army Motor Sports Association (BAMA) — formed in 1960 to co-ordinate motorised wheeled driver training in the Army and competitive motorsport events; 2010 'Recognised Sport' status; three groups covering eight disciplines under the Army Sports Control Board ↗ — Army Sport (British Army) (accessed 2026-09-10)
• The British Army and motorsport (BAMA attended the Scottish Rally in the late 1960s, invited to sweep up stranded cars; the Army's Land Rovers proved a catalyst for wider competition) ↗ — Extreme E (accessed 2026-09-10)
• 1986 Land Rover Ninety — Armed Forces Rally Team 'Romeo Four' (64 KF 64; one of four BAMA rally Ninetys, converted 1996, sponsor Lex Leasing, retired 2005) ↗ — The Dunsfold Collection (accessed 2026-09-10)